Crazy Busy to Slowing Down

Okay, so December is usually fairly busy but this one has been incredibly so! Work was off the chain through the first 14 days of the month with a quick trip to Atlanta the 2nd and 3rd; our state leaders here the 4th-6th; more meetings than should be allowed; and an all day filming with my Ben Trueblood and Allen Jackson.

It was busy! but now I am officially on vacation through the end of the year. I have a couple of afternoons to do some interviews for summer staff for World Changers and P2 Missions but that will be in the comfort of my own home.

Morgan is home from college and it is good to have her here. She and some boy named Wil/Wilson have burned up the local concert circuit seeing Dave Barnes and Andrew Peterson. One of the nice benefits of living in Nashville is great musicians and great venues.

I have lots of plans to get some things done around the house. Not big stuff but stuff I need to get done.Got the chainsaw out today just in time for a thunderstorm to strike. We don't get many of those around here in December.

Today marks the 5th anniversary of my mom's death. Hard to believe it has been that long. My dad continues to be a rock star and is doing well. He did fight off an upper respiratory infection and the stomach bug the last couple of weeks but he is back among the living and continues to be the greatest man I know. I miss my mom. She was an amazing lady!

No Blog November?

It seems that the best made plans are really worthless unless one carries out those plans. And . . . so that pretty sums up my blogging habits this month. I always plan to update the blog and then distractions and busyness creep in and well . . . I end up apologizing in the first blog post back.

I headed to Dallas the weekend before Thanksgiving for the Youth Specialties conference. It always proves a good time meeting with youth leaders and catching up with old friends. Being back in Dallas was good too, although we were downtown. Much has changed in Dallas since we moved away in 1989. It was good to run in few areas that I ran in long ago and the weather was nice.

I took the week of Thanksgiving as vacation and thoroughly enjoyed the time off. I played golf one day; raked leaves in an exercise of futility (the yard looked great for about 4 minutes); and, enjoyed basically being a bum.

Thanksgiving was simply wonderful with my dad and nephew, Mark, Shelbi and Morgan home and many friends over for the big feast. It is such a blessing to be around family. We are blessed to not only love one another but to like each other as well, so the drama and stress are extremely low. I did a little 5k race on Thanksgiving morning and ran pretty well for an older guy. The weather was good and the course was a little hilly but overall a good time. On Saturday, we loaded up and went to see Skyfall (new James Bond movie) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a sucker for Bond anyway.

This week has been busy with work and DCA Wildcats basketball games in the evenings. I love announcing and watching ball so it is not hard work but getting up early after vacation and staying out for ballgames has made me a little tired this week. Big fun though. Last night Sondra and I went to McGavock High School's Christmas Choir event and it was very good as usual. Our long time friend, Mitch, directs the choir there and just does an amazing job getting students to do more than they think they ever could.

This weekend will be filled with more DCA basketball; Christmas decorations; and a quick trip for work to Atlanta. This next week will be busy with our State Youth Leaders here Tues-Thurs and lots of work before the Christmas holidays.

How Fun is That?!

The past couple of weeks have included less work travel so that has allowed for more family time on the weekends. And that is good. I love what I get to do work wise, but I am most fulfilled when I get to hang out with Sondra and the rest of our family.

I know over the years I have had to remind myself that what I get to do work wise does not determine who I really am. I have repeated that to myself many times and have shared that with many people I come in contact with in life. Our culture can deceive us into believing that real success is based upon how much you are "out there making a difference". I know that that if I am "out there" making a difference and my family is sucking wind and crumbling, then really I have taught our kids how to gain the whole world and lose their own soul. Definitely not something I want to be indicative of me.

A couple of weekends ago we headed to Rome, GA to hang out with Mark and Shelbi. Morgan came home from Union, we jumped in the car and made our way to GA and had a great weekend. How fun to see our kids embracing young adulthood and making a difference in others' lives. We slept in, ran some, hiked some, napped, shopped, ate, and watched some football; slept some more, attended church and headed back home. No earth shattering events but just big fun.

This past weekend, Sondra and I jumped in the car and headed to Knoxville (Maryville actually) and hung out with our friends, Ronald and Tami Kooch. They have been great friends of ours for many years even though we have not lived in the same city for over 16 years now. Ronald's company supplied us some UT/MIZZOU tickets where we experienced a football game like I never have before. His company owns a sky box so I was in way over my head. It was fun to spend time with them and the MIZZOU win was actually a lot of fun for me but not so much the rest of the people in the box we were in. I cheered quietly most of the time. It was fun to see UT coaching legend Johnny Majors and to meet past UT basketball coach, Bruce Pearl who did a lot for the men's basketball program before getting into some NCAA trouble a couple of seasons ago.

So thankful to spend time with family and friends these past couple of weekends. Looking forward to Thanksgiving this next week after a trip to Dallas and Youth Specialties this weekend.

Lessons from Four-year-olds

Yesterday was my turn to work in ETC at church and once again, I learned alot. I am not really sure if I am working with older 3s, younger 4s, and I think there were a couple of 5s in the mix. Regardless, there were a bunch of them and yesterday started out  mild and then got cranked up. . . cranked up in a hurry.

Our Bible study was based on Elijah praying for rain and I thought it would be awesome if we mixed in some water balloons for special effects. The kids were pumped but we settled for water colors instead. The two other adults in the class overruled us all. (I went down fighting.)

I won't mention names of kids, in order to not break any laws unknowingly. They are an eclectic bunch. Some of them I have learned who their parents are but the majority of them are just kids that I know through that one Sunday a month connection. I see them in other areas of the church at other times and we acknowledge each other, but most of my interaction with them is in the "Purple" classroom one Sunday a month.

There are the quiet kids; the not-so-quiet kids; the toy players; the lap sitters; the ones who love to use me as a jungle gym; those that like to play by themselves; and those who need a lot of attention. Much like adults actually. I always walk away from the room with at least these two thoughts; 1. Thank God Sondra and I do not have a young one in our home constantly at this point in life. Not against kids by any stretch, but they flat out wear me out. 2. Every person needs Jesus and I have the privilege and responsibility to do all that I can to help them discover who He is.

Not all people discover Jesus the same way. All of us have a tendency to learn differently; to respond differently; to need for someone to accept us the way that we are, just love us too much to leave us that way.

I have so much to learn. I have One to present to everyone I meet and know.

Twenty Years and Just Getting Started

As crazy as it sounds, I began year 21 at LifeWay this week. I would have never imagined that God would allow me to serve Him through one place this long. What an incredible ride and storied past. I began as an editor for some discipleship resources; transitioned to managing the youth discipleship section; became a consultant in discipleship; ran back to the student area as an editor and most recently as a specialist helping student leaders minister to students and their families. What an amazing run and what a great ministry like LifeWay that has allowed me to grow and stretch and learn and help others.

I am excited about a new opportunity that LifeWay is allowing me to influence and guide. In September, Eric Geiger announced a new strategic emphasis for our World Changers and P2 Missions (PowerPlant) ministries called “Change the City, Change the World”. (You can read that announcement here.)
The impact of the cities upon the culture of the world is powerful.

So . . . God is allowing me to be a part of His work of mobilizing students on the front lines of missions in cities for multiple weeks a summer.  World Changers and P2 Missions have done an incredible job of ministering to communities through North America and I am glad to join them in their ministries. I have much to learn. I am excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I will be thinking and planning strategically to come alongside and partner with local churches including new church plants to better meet the needs of their communities and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


I covet your prayers.

Quick Catch Up . . . Nothing Earth Shattering

The last week and a half has been pretty much a whirlwind! I was in California and Texas speaking and teaching and loved every minute of it except for the one day I drove from LA to San Diego and the 5 was an angry highway. I love how people on the west coast talk about their highways. The 5, the 405, the . . . it is like their highways are real live people or something. Anyway, even though the highway was angry, the view was pretty sweet.

Monday this past week, my boss and I flew to Tampa and back for a meeting. Great meeting; nice to be out just during the day and sleep in my own bed that night. Thank you Southwest Airlines!

Work has been incredibly busy and later this week I can tell you about some changes that are already happening for me job wise. I am really excited for an opportunity to reinvent and stretch. It is both scary and overwhelming! but exhilarating.

Today is my wonderful wife's birthday. I will not tell you how old she is but I will tell you that we are both holding on to our 40s, but just barely! We went to the Nashville Symphony on Thurs night and saw Michael W. Smith play with the symphony. It was pretty great to say the least.

Shelbi and Mark are doing pretty good. Shelbi started her nursing job last week and is finding out what it is like to work 12 hour shifts. She is on a general surgery and orthopedic surgery floor. She is doing great I am sure. Mark has been feeling yucky with some allergy stuff and has undergone a bunch of testing. We think he is going to live.

Morgan is in the throes of a busy semester and has been dealing with mono. She seems to be past the sick part of it and now just dealing with all the tiredness. She came home on Friday to surprise her mom for a belated birthday present and then had to head back to Union on Saturday. Great to have her home even if for a short time.

I promise to blog a little more in the future.

Tough Decisions Ahead . . . Politically

I rarely post anything related to politics and know that many might take issue with me on my thoughts, but here goes . .

I did not vote for our current President in '08 because I did not agree with his stance on many issues related to the protection of the unborn; his views on same sex marriage, etc. When he was elected I committed to praying for him like I have every President that I can remember in my lifetime (basically Richard Nixon to now). I am aware that I have limitations on knowing all the facts as it relates to candidates, their past voting records, etc. I publicly announced that I would pray for President Obama and I have done so.

As the election draws near, I find myself more and more conflicted with our two choices of major party candidates. I disagree with many of the decisions that our current administration has made. I do have to say though, this administration pretty much has done what it said it would do before it was put into power.

Mr. Romney seems to be saying many of the same things that I agree with in principle, but a sticking point that I have with him is his view of Jesus. As a young boy, I gave my life to Christ and have grown to have a much deeper understanding of that relationship as I have matured over the last forty plus years. One of the main tenants of my faith and relationship is that Jesus is “the only way to heaven.” Jesus is not only “a” way, but “the” way. Mr. Romney would disagree with that and say that Jesus is not even “a” way. On that particular issue, I would have more in common with our current President who does not deny that Jesus is “a” way to heaven.

I understand that I have a right to vote and I am thankful for the sacrifice of many in days gone by and those currently who are continuing to fight for our freedom as citizens of the United States. I am a proud American. I, however, am struggling with having to vote for one or the other of two candidates that I biblically disagree with in their fundamental faith beliefs and actions. I will be voting for a President. I am pretty sure it will not be for either of the two front runners. I am praying for wisdom.

Baseball, Football, Quiet House

The MLB Playoffs are in full swing and in my opinion, this new format shows how goofy leaders have become in this sport. A one-game playoff and then the Division Series where teams with the better record in the regular season are sent on the road for the first two games. Seems to be no reward for playing well during the regular season. But . . . they get three games at home IF it goes to 5 games. I realize that it did not effect all of the better recorded teams but Selig seems to just be a goober and this is another instance. I remember when MLB used to be fun.

I spent the weekend watching alot of football since Sondra headed to MO to be with her mom (more on that in a minute). The MIZZOU debacle last week of 5 players being suspended for marijuana use; Pinkel announcing a divorce from his wife; etc all led to a miserable performance on the field against that powerhouse Vandy. Now, I like Vandy. I have struck up a casual friendship with Jordan Rodgers, quarterback for Vandy and brother of Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay Packers fame, but MIZZOU losing to them at home was embarrassing. I realize that James Franklin (MIZZOU QB, not Vandy head coach) got injured in the 1st quarter but our performance on the offensive and defensive side of the ball was indicative of distractions and poor coaching. Please Coach Pinkel, help kids know how to live life by modeling behavior that you would want them to emulate.

A Quiet House has been the theme this past four days. Sondra and Sadie (our goofy Westie) left for MO on Sat. to go spend some time with Sondra's mom. They made a stop in Jackson on the way and had lunch with Morgan and Wilson (her beau) and then on to MO. I mentioned earlier that Sondra's mom was not doing very well and is some better I believe but still not back to her norm. Sondra is there to assess the situation (along with her sister Bronwyn who was there last week) so that we can think, pray and plan for the future. None of us like Joyce living so far away from any of us and we want to be careful to do what is best for her.

So, the house is incredibly quiet. Many of you know that Alysha moved in with us back in July, so we kicked her out the last few days since Sondra was gone. Definitely want to avoid the appearance of anything not like Christ and protect all the parties involved. Alysha is a wonderful young lady that we are privileged to have as a part of our family and I shared about her here in an earlier post.

We are still working through some other things that we hope to announce in another week or so that could prove to be incredibly exciting for us. Don't mean to leave you hanging but cannot fully disclose all that is happening quite yet.

Catching You Up . . . You're Getting Sleepy

I have been remiss in blogging the last couple of weeks and some of you have been unable to sleep without the aid of reading my blog late at night. It usually helps people right off to sleep.

Last week was a bit of whirlwind with a trip to Atlanta for a Transform event where I had the privilege of learning alongside of some great youth workers. We covered many of the "basics" in student ministry that I have the arrogance to overlook too many times. It was good to be reminded of the simple things in ministry that tend to make the most impact. On the backside of that trip, I went through Rome, GA to see Shelbi and Mark; catch one of Morgan's roommates who plays soccer for Union play against Shorter College and then get home late Sat. night. Sunday was quick with church, meetings and packing for the D6 Conference in Dallas Mon-Weds.

It was good to be able to spend some time with a couple of ministry friends, Shelby Baucum whom I have mentioned earlier, and Gene Wilkes who I have also mentioned earlier. Two men who have made great contribution in my life. The D6 Conference was great to be a part of too. I had the privilege of leading a couple of breakouts and then was glad to get home on Weds night. This past weekend was at home but I led conferences for the Teach the Bible for Life conference here in Nashville. Another great time spent with youth leaders focusing on doing the small things well in serving others. I came away tired and encouraged.

I head to California and Texas soon and get to teach again at Golden Gate Seminary with my buddy Paul Kelly. Always encouraging to be with him and to learn from him.

A couple of things we would appreciate your prayers for this week especially is Sondra's mom, Joyce Holmes. She is having some health issues that we are trying to get a handle on and have better understanding moving forward. Sondra is making her way there this weekend to spend some time with her mom. Issue #2 is Morgan who has been diagnosed with mono. Last week we were somewhat concerned that it could be something more severe (not that mono is a piece of cake) and we are grateful that it is just mono.

I will be posting some stuff very soon about some exciting changes that are going on with us. It is not meant as a teaser but be praying for us as God shows us how best to get at some new things for us.

Out of the Blue . . . and In Touch

An odd thing happened the other night while Sondra and I were getting caught up on a long running, summer TV show called The Closer. We enjoy that show and have kept up with it over the last 5 or 6 years. It is one of those seasonal kind of shows that the non-big 3 have aired trying to woo watchers/viewers to their network. If you do not know the show, a Georgia girl moves to LA to lead a homicide group of investigators. There are many characters of various ethnicity (which I really like) and the show can be violent and funny at the same time. Weird, I know, but it is an entertaining show.

We are behind on catching up on this series and in fact, the series has ended already and spun off into another TV show with most of the same characters but a new female lead. I think we have two more episodes until the series finale for us. So . . . on Sunday night of this week we were watching an episode and at the end of the episode, a death occurs that hit home to me. The main character's mom died and her reaction to the death just rocked me to put it bluntly, and I even saw the death coming.


The last few days that scene has played in my head a few times and has caused me to think of my mom more than normal. It is really not a morbid, depressed funk that I am in, in fact, I don't think it is a funk at all. I just really think it is still the grieving process that I find myself in almost five years later. We have celebrated alot the last few months with our girls and now son-in-law from graduations to a wedding to a new relationship that Morgan finds herself in (which is all good and I approve) and a very real part of me is a little sad that mom is not here to see her legacy play out. And, I feel much the same way in regards to my father-in-law and his passing a little over 4 years ago. There is a little sadness that they have "missed" their influence in our lives. (By the same token, both are with Christ and we would never ask them to leave His presence for this temporal earth. It is just that I miss them.)

So . . . no need to call in the psych squad but I realize that these moments that come "out of the blue" are really important of me being in touch with how God has wired me. And . . . it is great assurance that He never leaves or forsakes His own and that since we are created for relationship that when relationships are interrupted, there is grieving. I am cool with that. I am thankful for it too.

360Nashville Recap

This past week was a lot of fun and a lot of work as well. LifeWay Student Ministry partnered with Urban Youth Workers Institute to encourage/train/minister to student leaders from across the country. Here is brief recap of that time together in video:

360 Nashville ReCap from UYWI on Vimeo.

Imagination and the Lost

One of the joys of being around the 3s/4s at our church (Hermitage Hills Baptist) is the constant change and the continual "who knows what is going to be said next" moments that at times come like a gushing fire hydrant.

In order to not make myself better than I actually am, I want to remind you that I am a rookie at working with 3s/4s with the exception of our own two daughters who were that age almost 20 years ago. And . . . I only work with them once a month, so by no means am I putting myself in the category of those saints that work with 3s/4s every day in your home or every week at your church.

The other Sunday I got bumped from the 3s to the 4s which meant I went from the Aqua room to the Purple room. Everything in the room was new to me except for the kids that had graduated last month. So, I was reunited with the kids but the surroundings were all different. New toys; new books; new chairs; new tables; and a new co-worker.

One new-to-me boy came in the room all gang busters and greeted me with a hiss. My normal position is on the floor because at 6'2" I am pretty much a giant to 3s and 4s, so I am on the floor as he enters and immediately drops to his knees and "slithers" over towards me. The next 4-5 minutes he worked really hard "convincing" me that he really was a snake. He realized I wasn't buying it but he did not break character. I have to tell you, he was working hard and doing a good job at it too. So much so that one of the girls came over to me and asked, "Is he really a snake?" Suppressing a grin, I looked at her and asked, "does he look like any snake you have ever seen?, at which she walked away more relieved knowing there really wasn't a snake in the room.

Imagination is powerful and somehow the older I have gotten I have drifted away from using my imagination. Sadly, I have forgotten what it is like to be lost too. I wonder if we allowed people to imagine what it is like to be lost more if it would change the way that you and I picture the lost.Not to judge them, but to love them enough to imagine how best we can reach people with the Greatest News there is.

"Snake boy" reminded me that it is important that I remember what it is like to be lost and quit being lost in myself and not see others as Christ sees them. How cool would it be to imagine that there are no more lost because we have used our imagination to discover better ways to share the Gospel with those who desperately need to hear that God loves them!

Some Things New

If you are a repeat offender to my blog (yes, I am speaking to you dad and about two other people), you will notice that I have changed the look up a little. After 4plus years of the "dark" look I have decided to lighten things up a bit. The profile pic is one from a photo shoot I did back around February for a MORE Magazine which is supposed to do some little blurb on what I am passionate about. I wanted to go with Sondra as that story but they said it had to be ministry related and I told them that she had taken me on as a ministry project almost 28 years ago. Needless to say, I tried and they went with something else that I said I was sort of passionate about. I would disclose it here, but . . . I signed a contract so I cannot reveal before it comes out which is sometime soon I think.

One of the great new things at the Turner household is Alysha. Alysha is staying with us for a few months while she waits on an opportunity to get involved in a "missions around the world" experience that God has placed on her heart. She's an incredible, young lady that loves Jesus and seems to have been a part of our family forever. We have discovered that she is more petrified of bugs than Morgan which is saying alot. She has been with us almost two months except for the week we "kicked her out" around the wedding. We love having her around. She is a delight and a blessing to our family.

There are some more "new" announcements that will be coming soon. I have been in a new "low-travel" phase the past couple of weeks that is about to change again so I have been working on some new presentations that I will be doing this Fall. Very excited about presenting some new research related to students and some other stuff ministry related. Love what I get to do and having a ball with a new crop of 3-4 year olds at church; new college students in the am LIFE Group; and just started a new LIFE Group for the student leaders that meets on Sunday nights. Busy, but stuff I love doing.

This older dog is learning some new tricks.

One Great Story

Every time I see this video I pick up something different but I love how HIStory is captured in this short video.

Help! I'm Teaching the Gospel Project for Students

Back in the summer, Lydia and I sat down and talked through using the Leader Guide for The Gospel Project for Students. Thought it might be helpful for you last minuters who are about to start using this resource and want your teachers just a little more prepared. And, I have no idea why someone did not tell me to fix my collar!

Thanks for Letting Me Grow

These past few weeks have been fairly reflective, emotional, and filled with gratefulness. Friday I traveled to AL via MS to train AL youth leaders and then return home to attend the 100th Anniversary of First Baptist Church, Donelson. It was was a busy weekend but a really good one.

There are four churches that have had great impact in my early ministry life and those adults and leaders who have invested in me are some real saints to be sure.

East Lynne Baptist Church - located in rural MO, the wonderful people of this church invested in a young boy who loved hunting and fishing and was pretty quiet and shy. He was always observing, learning and not willing to risk much. Some sweet people like Phil and Norma Belcher, Bobby and Margaret Ely, Eddie and Betty Deardorff plus a couple of godly parents named Charles and Frances nurtured a young boy and laid a great foundation for ministry.

Beaumont Baptist Church - an inner-city church in KC, MO where some godly folks like Mrs. Lorene Dickson, Manuel Aston, The Norwoods, Charlene Creighton, Gary and Judy Taylor and a host of others allowed a teenaged boy to listen, learn and walk alongside of them in their pursuit of following Christ. Those same parents, Charles and Frances, continued to show me what it means to follow hard after Christ.

Casa View Baptist Church - this church was located in a changing community in the Dallas/Garland/Mesquite area and the wonderful folks there put me through seminary by paying for my "matriculation" fees for six semesters. What a blessing! and they allowed a young, arrogant, newly married young man to make many mistakes and to learn from them. People like Shelby Baucum had a huge impact on my life and here is where I learned to love people more than the programs we were trying to run. There are many people who influenced me here and one of my favorite is a gal named Sue Weaver who to this day continues to love life and people. She and her friend, Rosita, are two people that everyone needs to know. Dan Clevenger was another great person that God allowed me to learn from while in Dallas. There are too many to mention, but all of their investment in me are overwhelming.

First Baptist Church, Donelson - This is the last church that I served full-time before coming to LifeWay and these dear people allowed me to make a few mistakes and loved me anyway.  I worked with people like Jerry Beaty who to this day still has one of the best voices of anyone I know. W. Roy Fisher was my pastor and got me into running marathons before he left running and had to move to an elliptical. (There is a joke there that only he and I know.) Roy still has a funny accent but taught me alot about ministry. Gordon Donahoe showed me much grace as my supervisor and the office staff there were kind and gracious to me as well. It was also here that God allowed me to meet a guy named Mitch Fuller who continues to be like a brother to me. A wonderful friend that God has blessed my life with in so many ways.

This is a brief summary and in no way begins to express all the investment and gratefulness that I have for so many who have invested and impacted my life.

Here is a verse that begins to get at how thankful I am for these four churches and the people who have invested in me -  Phil. 1:3-5
3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

It Was A Very Good Day

How in the world does a dad steel himself for not only giving away the bride, but also officiate the ceremony? I have no idea. I do know that yesterday was an amazing day of worship, and family and friends.Thanks to so many who have prayed for us as parents and for our girls. Mark and Shelbi's wedding day was splendid.

It was great fun to see so many family and friends and we are especially excited to be family with not only Mark but his entire family. I am not sure they know how to take us, but it was just a sweet time with Mark's parents praying right before we all headed down the aisle. Just another huge blessing among so many others.

The newlyweds are enjoying the week together and we are getting back to some normalcy. Thanks for continuing to pray for the new Ellison family; Mark's parents and family; and for those Turner folks as well.

And she "left with her new favorite boy."

Just Another Week . . . Yeah, right?!?

So it is Monday, August 6th and I have lived 48 August 6ths before but this Monday starts a different week for us as a family. This Saturday, Shelbi, our oldest trades her name in for one that comes alot earlier in the alphabet. It is true, Shelbi Brooke Turner will become Shelbi Brooke Ellison and Mrs. Mark Ellison. Holy freaking cow! our baby is getting married! And . . . it is a very good thing.

I spoke about Mark earlier here so I will not rehash that all over again. I will say once again, how thankful and proud we are to have him as a part of our family. This past few months (about four or so) Sondra and Shelbi have been in wedding prep mode. Actually I think they both had been thinking through alot of plans prior to the engagement and just put most of that plan into action in April. To watch those two has been a blessing in itself. A little background will help you understand that last statement. Both Shelbi and Sondra are "planners". They make lists of lists of things to be accomplished. They are efficient, detailed and incredibly focused on getting tasks done. They look alike, think alike, act alike, walk alike and work alike. She is her mother's daughter for sure. At times they can be a little short fused, determined and can dig in. (I am not speaking out of turn or throwing either of them under the bus.) Through these past few months they have worked together beautifully. Sondra has been the ultimate Mom in planning and making sure her daughter's wedding will be what Shelbi wants. It has been a beautiful thing to watch. I know that Shelbi is aware of and thankful for the care and detail that Sondra has taken.

And, . . . I know my place. I can be somewhat of a jokester, antagonist, interjector of sarcasm, etc. and I have chosen to refrain from that and wisely so I might add. I have discovered that a dad's role is to provide the budget, give lots of hugs and generally do what he is told to do. (I don't mean that negatively either.) I get to play a pretty big role and in fact already have. A daddy is to love and protect his daughters. He is to listen to their heartaches and their joys and he is to unconditionally love and support. He also gets to teach them to throw a ball; ride a bike; dribble and shoot; and to model how a man treats his wife and shows honor and respect. He hurts when they hurt; encourages; cries and laughs with them; and feels a little sad when that one young man comes around that he knows will become the man that his daughter loves and makes her husband. But that dad is also very proud when that young man loves God and his daughter and that little bit of sadness is mixed with great joy.

There are a few things left to do this week before 2p on Saturday. In the mix of those things is some good time with family and a whole lot of thankfulness. So many things to reflect on; to celebrate; and to be thankful for this week. And we are thankful that we get to share it with many of you.

Spinning . . . and Out of Control?

This is one of the those posts that might be better left unsaid for fear that I am going to bring some kind of wrath down on myself, but alas,  I press on with the posting anyway.

Lately, actually pretty much always, it seems that many people I know are in a constant state of spinning and many of those "many spinning" are on the brink of or are "out of control." I first have to admit that I tend to be a "low-key, sort of take things as they come", kind of person. I do not get rattled or overwhelmed very often. Some of that can be interpreted as "not caring" or "too dumb to realize how dire the straits are" or just to lazy to get engaged. I admit, sometime I get tired and some things that come along just are not worth the energy. But there are those I observe where EVERYTHING in life is a 14 on a ten point scale. There is no margin for when something really big or catastrophic or stressful comes along. If you are always pegging the top end of the meter, when something big comes along, how much higher can the needle go if you are always pegging?

Even more recently, with things like an impending wedding coming up quickly (August 11) there are many things that can seem like they are "end of the world" or at least "show stopping kinds of things" that are big deals but not the Big Deal. I have to give my wife, the beautiful Sondra for masterfully guiding the wedding planning process in a few short months. All the detail stuff that she excels at is handled with ease. (I can't even remember who all I was to invite.)

The world is spinning around us but that does not mean we have to spin out of control with the circumstances and situations we find ourselves in in life. One of the things I am really concentrating on is "Not taking on the responsibility for things I have no authority over." When decisions are made that effect me, I am focusing on only stewarding what God has clearly shown me to do. It is true that many things are spinning, but that does not mean that we have to be caught in the "spin".

I have some friends walking through some very difficult situations with health, jobs, family, other relationships and most of the time I just pray and offer a word of encouragement and a reminder to them that only pick up responsibility for those things God has given you authority over. Lean into Him and trust. It is a lesson that I am slowly learning. And. . . . He can be trusted.

Overreaching?

At times I have these episodes of ranting, throwing up on a page and sort of "going off" on things that irritate or frustrate me. I am normally easy-going, docile, and pretty conservative about what I comment on. Too many times I am guilty of commenting on things/issues that I know very little about but come across as authoritative (at least in my own mind).

With all that said, there are a couple of things I feel compelled to comment on that in my opinion are good examples of overreaching.

One is the Roger Goodell and New Orleans Saints Bountygate issue. I am in no way supporting a system that would intentionally pay players to go "take out" people on the field, but, the NFL has a system set up for on the field play that monitors and controls the games. Officials are there to flag any plays that are deemed outside the rules of play. Mr.Goodell has been given too much authority and has over reached his responsibility in my opinion.

The whole Penn State debacle is sickening and you can read what I wrote earlier here. I am in no way trying to protect JoePa, Sandusky, or the Penn State program, but the NCAA ruling on how the school operates outside of the football program is beyond their responsibility. The sanctions were just announced and they are strong. The $60 million penalty that will be used to protect children and others from being abused is admirable. But the NCAA is set up to keep programs from getting an unfair advantage on the field. I am not sure how that applies. Please hear me, I am in no way trying to nullify or lessen the pain or atrocities of those children who were abused by Mr. Sandusky. I am just not sure how the NCAA brings sanctions on something that is not under their watch.

But, these two instances remind me of a great, short-coming in my own life. Many times I am guilty of overreaching and bringing judgment on those who I deem are unworthy or not "living up to their walk" in Christ.Too many times I play the role of the Holy Spirit in others' lives. I am slowly but surely learning to trust God and allow Him to do His work in others. I am learning to not pick up responsibility for things that I do not have authority over. Sometimes they are slow and painful lessons.

Three Year Olds Make Great Teachers

I volunteer once per month to work with three-year-olds during worship. (I should know what ETC stands for but I don't but evidently that is what our church calls what I have volunteered to do.) I always go in ready to learn something (and hopefully, come out alive!) Today was no exception.

Our lesson was on Peter being prayed for by his friends while he was in prison; the angel appearing to Peter saying, "You are free to leave this prison"; and then Peter appearing to his friends who had prayed for him. There were interjections throughout the story by the students and I am listing a sample of them below:

• Question asked during the lesson - "Do you remember ever praying as a family for someone who needed prayer?" Answer by 3 year old S - "We never pray at our house! Well, we pray for meals." I am sure the parents would be mortified. I know them. They are praying people.
• Me - "So, how did you cut your thumb?" "I cut it while I was opening my body wash!" (3 going on 15.)
• New guy coming into the room - Me - "Hey J, so glad you are here!" J - "I didn't want to come." Me - "Sometimes I have to go places I don't want to go too. Let me tell you what we have planned today. We will play some games; work on some thank you cards to give to our pastors; sing some songs; have our Bible story time; and, then some gold fish and something to drink. How does that sound?" J - "Well, that's different. I like goldfish."

I laughed until I cried on a couple of other things. Ten 3-year-olds, Miss Bridget and me, and we learned alot. Well, I did anyway. Kids tell you what they think. They like when we get on their level (literally) and we listen to them. I signed up to help out once a quarter; somehow I got into the once/month rotation. I guess God knows I have alot to learn so once a quarter is not enough for me.